An Index to the Names in the Mahabharata, with Short Explanations and a Concordance to the Bombay and Calcutta Editions and P. C. Roy's Translation c5.s6.252
An Index to the Names in the Mahābhārata, with Short Explanations and a Concordance to the Bombay and Calcutta Editions and P. C. Roy's Translation c5.s6.252
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c5.s6.252.1
[Jāpakopākhyāna(m)] ("the episode about the reciter of sacred mantras"). § 662b (Mokshadh.): A brahman, who was a reciter, conversant with the six Aṅgas, of the Kuçika race and son of Pippalāda, acquired spiritual insight into the Aṅgas; at the foot of Himavat he was devoted to the Vedas; silently reciting Gāyatrī, he practised austerities for 1,000 years in order to attain to Brahman. Then Gāyatrī (Sāvitrī) appeared and granted him the boon that his wish for recitation should go on increasing, and his absorption into meditation (samādhi) be more complete. She added that he should not have to go to hell, thither where great brahmans go, but to the region of Brahmān, and that Dharma, etc. (α), would come to him in person. He continued engaged in recitation for 1,000 celestial years. Then Dharma came to him and told him to cast off his body in order to win regions of bliss; but he did not wish to reside in heaven except with his body, but only took pleasure in recitation. Time, Mṛtyu, and Yama came and told him the same. The brahman gave them arghya and pādya. Ikṣvāku, who had set out on a tīrthayātrā, came and was given arghya and pādya. The brahman wished to give him something; Ikṣvāku, as a kṣatriya, would not take anything except battle, but only himself give; at last, however, he asked to be allowed to enjoy the fruits of the brahman's recitations, but when the brahman consented he would n t take them, and asked the brahman what those fruits were.
c5.s6.252.2
The brahman did not know, as his recitations had never been connected with any special purpose; he told the king that Truth required that he should take them as he had asked for them (the signification of Truth). Dharma and Heaven (Svargaḥ) seconded the brahman. Ikṣvāku wished to give his own merits instead, but in vain; then Ikṣvāku agreed to accept half the brahman's merit on the condition that the brahman should take half of his own, but he was refused. At this time two ungainly individuals came there, Virūpa and Vikṛta (afterwards disclosed to be Desire and Wrath); Virūpa said that he owed Vikṛta the merits of the gift of a cow, but that Vikṛta refused to take repayment (in the form of the merit of having given two kapilā cows with calves to an uñchavṛtti); Vikṛta declared that Virūpa owed him nothing; they asked Ikṣvāku to decide the question. Ikṣvāku hesitated; the brahman threatened to curse him. Ikṣvāku would give him some drops of water that had fallen upon his hand. Virūpa approved of this arrangement, and said that Vikṛta really did not owe him anything; "we appealed to thee for thy own sake." Bhīṣma said that a reiter goes to Brahmān, or Agni, or Sūrya, whose attributes he catches stupefied by attachment (rāgeṇa); and so also if he goes to Soma, etc. (β); if, however, he goes to those regions after having freed himself from attachment, he enters the Supreme and Imperishable, and becomes Brahman (XII, 199). The brahman accepted, worshipped Dharma, etc.
c5.s6.252.3
(γ), and set himself to his recitations again. Asked by Ikṣvāku, he agreed that he should go half and half with the king. Indra came there with D., Lp., Sā., Vi., etc. (δ), and said to the brahman and the king that they had attained to success ([sam]siddhaḥ). Those two withdrew their senses from the objects of the world; fixing prāṇa, etc. (ε), in the heart, they concentrated the mind in Prāṇa and Apāna united together, etc. (description). Brahmán welcomed the fiery flame that had issued from the head of the brahman, saying: “Reciters attain to the same end as the yogins; but as regards reciters, the honour is ordained for them that Brahmán himself shall advance to receive them”; then he once more imparted consciousness into that splendour; the brahman then entered the mouth of Brahmán, and so did the king. The deities rejoiced. Brahmán said that so also would he that reads “the great Smṛti” and “the Anusmṛti” (i.e. resp. “the six Aṅgas and Manu, etc.,” Nil.) in this way attain to the same region with Brahmán; and so also he is devoted to Yoga. Then Brahmán disappeared, and the deities, having honoured Dharma, returned to their respective abodes (XII, 200).